First one up gets the best snow! You’ll be that person with a full hour to enjoy early access to the slopes. Hit the slopes before everyone else—think powder day!–before the rest of the crowd arrives from 7:30-8:30 a.m. Enjoy wide-open runs with fresh grooming or virgin powder as the case may be. One of the Fresh Tracks dates last season happened to be an epic powder day, just sayin’.

Plus you’ll get a $15 food voucher valid at any resort outlet. Fresh Tracks is an add-on to a lift ticket or season pass and costs $25. Buy yours at any open ticket window day of the event or in advance by calling (844) GO2-BEAR.

“Big Bear Idol” music competition held by Rotary at the Performing Arts Center 6 p.m., free admission including refreshments at intermission.(909) 866-4970.

Talented local youth are out to show that “Big Bear’s Got Talent” during annual free competition on Saturday, February 17.

The 6 p.m. event held at the Performing Arts Center is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Big Bear Lake, which serves refreshments at intermission. The musical competition features high school age singers and instrumentalists. Many performers are veterans of the stage after appearing with local companies including the late Community Arts Theater Society (CATS) shows as well as high school productions.

The competition is open to high school students at all levels and past winners have gone on to study music at the college level and perform professionally with groups including The Young Americans. Vocal and instrumental judges are highly qualified musicians who not only rate the students’ efforts but also pass along advice.

Contestants compete in categories including classical and nonclassical vocal and instrumental and piano. Top three finalists in each category at Big Bear Idol receive cash prizes and first place finishers can compete at the Rotary District 5330 level, which includes the mountain communities as well as Riverside and San Bernardino County areas. Big Bear Idol admission is free and the youngsters put on a professional show well worth your time.

Relive early ELTON JOHN as the great Kenny Metcalf returns with the legendary performer’s music on Feb. 17. Especially poignant with Elton’s recent decision to quit touring.

Metcalf starts with the look of the glitzy rock star complete with bell-bottoms, platforms, glitter and sequins, then moves on to the sound while playing piano and on vocals. Favorites like “Bennie and the Jets,” “Tiny Dancer,” “Crocodile Rock,” “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” “Candle in the Wind” and so many more are masterfully preformed by Metcalf, handpicked to be on AXS-TV’s “World Greatest Tribute Bands.”

His eight member band recreates the feel of the star’s 1970’s and `80’s concerts so accurately it caught the eyes and ears of Caleb Quaye, John’s original guitarist, who said “(Metcalf) sounds just like him vocally and his piano playing and stage antics…are so accurate you wonder if you haven’t been transported back in time.”

Metcalf is especially focused on Elton John’s early years and wowed a national audience during a live performance at The Roxy. He brings to life an Elton show circa 1975 with a complete audio and visual experience.

Chili Cookoff, Outhouse Races, Clementine Open 2016 Old Miners Days

The competition is hot at the Chili Cookoff, sanctioned by the International Chili Society where top chefs advance, but Old Miners Days has pretty cool events.

Like Outhouse Races, horseshoe contest, living history and more. From serious mountain biking to zany parade, Big Bear’s 67th annual celebration of its western heritage sees events on most July weekends. Starting with the Big Bear Chili Cookoff on Saturday, July 16, as the fastest chefs in the west vie for the right to advance to world competition this fall.

The ICS cookoff begins at 10 a.m. in the Village’s Bartlett Parking Lot with live music and dozens of vendors selling Western gifts and souvenirs. Climbing wall, gold panning, face painting, stagecoach races and children’s crafts make a great day of family fun and an inexpensive one since admission is free. Chili tasting kits are $5.

There’s prizes and trophies for best red and green chili, salsa and the people’s choice award as well as “Best Local Restaurant” contest. Honors also go to best local cook, first-time cook and best decorated booth but the real winners are guests who sample a variety of heart warmin’ and burnin’ concoctions…bring the antacids. To douse the fire there’s beergarden and wine.

Live music on the stage is worth the free admission price in itself and includes Cave favorites Nikki Sparks and Kenny Marquez. Also part of the full lineup is Duke Michaels Band, One Story, the Alec Johnson band, Francesca Jule, and “Old Dawgs” John Phane and Mike Early.

At 1 p.m. the long-running Miss Clementine Contest features contestants age 16-21 dressed in authentic period costumes and attire from about 1860-1910 with the winner netting a $500 scholarship.

Get a cut of the loot by bidding on potties at the 1 p.m. Calcutta Auction and Outhouse Parade. Race-ready outhouses are available for rent.

Old Miners Days continues the next weekend on the north shore in Fawnskin. First up on Saturday, July 23 at 8:30 a.m. is the Ride ‘N Tie mountain bike race, a politically-correct take on the burro races that Old Miners Days was built on. Two person teams used to race beasts from Pioneer Town to Holcomb Valley; now they ride a single bike over a 10-mile loop, swapping at least twice and both team members must finish together.

The following week on July 30 is the popular historical reenactment History Alive Chautauqua at Summit Christian Fellowship Church at 7 p.m. This year’s personality is Jefferson Hunt, who created the first American colony in California and is the father of San Bernardino County. The program is presented by The Friends of the Library.

Admission is free and afterwards refreshments are served at the library across the street. The library is at 41930 Garstin Dr. Call (909) 866-5571. Old Miners Days ends with the July 30 Horseshoe Tournament at Boathouse Lakeside Tavern at 10 a.m. www.OldMiners.org